Wringer



S. S. HOLLAND ET AL WRINGER .May 31, 1938.

2 Shets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 16, 1934 S. S. HOLLAND El AL WRINGER May 3-1, 1938.

'2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 16, 1,934

ATTORNEY Patented May 31, 1938 (UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WRINGER Sidney S. Holland, Gard F. Traughber, and Reuben J. McVey, Sandusky, Ohio, assignors, by mesne assignments, to The Apex Electrical Manufacturing Company. Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Original application February 16, 1934, ,Serial No. 711,558. Patent No. 2,048,741, dated July 28, 1936. Divided and this application Decemher 16, 1935, Serial No. 54,680

. 4' Claims.

. tured into Patent No. 2,048,741.

A washing machine of the type to which our inventionrelates usually includes an agitator located within the tub element of the machine for agitating wash water within the tub anda wringer mounted on the tub adapted for operation in any of several positions to permit wringing of the cleansed articles from the wash water to a rinsing tub and from the rinsing tub back to the wash tub, or to a basket, both the agitator and wringer being driven from a single motor mounted on the tub base. 7

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine of this character constructed in a manner to avert tendency of the tub to tip under weight of the wringer when it is swung to the positions as above noted. i

In' accomplishing these and other objects of the invention as hereinafter pointed out, we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine and its wringer embodying the features of whereby a substantially balanced construction is provided to avert tendency of tipping of the machine under weight of the wringer.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical section through I the offset portion of the wringer driving mechanism and support.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section onthe line 4--4 Of Fig. 3.

' Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates the tub of a domestic washing machine thatis mounted on a: base 2 comprising a bed ring 3 supported by spaced legs 4, preferably arranged in diametric pairs and provided with caster wheels 5. The tub I contains an agitator. of dolly or other well-known'type (not shown) 1 adapted for actuation by a shaft 6 suitably extended through the bottom of the tub and conagitator. housing I5 and spaced below the rim of the tub is an'elbow' housing II preferably of split con- 15 bottom of the tub, laterally of one of the legs 8 and preferably on the bed ring 3, is a gear housing 9 containing a worm gear I (Fig. 2), that is operable from a worm I I on the main driving shaft 1.

Operable from the worm gear, by a cam I2 or other suitable means, is a pitman I3 having a transmission connection I4 for oscillating the agitator shaft 6 when the motor isenergized. Extending from the top of the gear housing 8 is a vertical, tubular housing I5 encasing a driving 10 shaft I6 which has driving connection with the worm wheel III to rotate synchronously with the Mounted ongthe top' of the tubular struction to permit access to a universal joint f indicated at I8 (Fig. 3).

The universal joint I8 includes a stub shaft I9 journalled in a bearing that is mounted in the horizontal arm of the elbow housing, the shaft 20 I9 having a stop collar 2| on its power end and having a reduced exension 22 at its opposite end projecting beyond the end of the bearing 20, on which a pinion 23 is fixed, preferably by a pin 24.

Mounted on the bearing 20 by means or a collar 25 and attached to the side of the tub I by a boss 26 and by a boss2l extending from the elbow housing I1, is a gear housing 28 including a body portion 29 enclosing the driving pinion 23 and bevelled gears presently described, the termi- 30 nals 30 and 3| of the housing being of the particular construction for adapting the housing to the purposes of our invention. The gear housing is attached to the elbow housing by cap screws 32 projecting through cars 33 in the elbow housing gitudinally movable in a socket 36 in the lower housing terminal 30 and its upper endslidably projected through a bearing aperture 31 in the cover plate 38 at the top of the upper terminal of the gear housing and into a chamber 39 formed tegral with the cover plate 38. Mounted on the shaft 35, preferably by pins 4|, are bevelled gears 42 and 43 adapted for selective engagement with the pinion 23 to effect rotation of the transmisby'an upstanding, annular flange 40 on, and in- 45 sion shaft in either direction in response to constant rotation of the shaft I6.

Selective engagement of the gears 42 and 43 with the. pinion 23 is preferably effected by fixing the gears on the shaft by the pins 4|, .pre-

viously mentioned, and longitudinal shift of the transmission shaft through a cam mechanism including pins 44f extending radially from a collar 4 on the shaft 3! above the upper bevelled gear an retained in engagement therewith by a thrust washer that is fixed to the shaft by a pin 4]. The pins 44 may consist of cylindrical studs having shanks 4| threaded into sockets 40 in the collar 4S, and extended through vertical slots I in a cylindrical extension II of the body 24. Rotatably mounted in an annular seat 02 countersunk in the outer facev of the extension Iii is a split collar 53 having inclined, slightly arcuate cam grooves," in its inner face (Fig. 8) into which the outer ends of the respective pins '44 are projected. the pins 44 being preferably provided with rollers 55 to afford anti-friction bearing of the pins on the edges of the vertical slots 50 and on inclined, slightly arcuate edges of the cam grooves 54, thereby facilitating shifting action of the shaft 35. r

' The split portions of the collar are secured about the extension Si by a stud bolt 51 projecting through ears 58 on the collars, and having a nut 08 threaded on the end thereof.

The collar 03 is provided with handles 80 lo,- cated about the collar so that one of them is always accessible to the operator of the washing machine standing in any of the customary positions relatively thereto. The collar is retained in any of its selected positions'by a springpressed ball GI slidably mounted in a bore 62 in the collar and engageable in one of a series of sockets 63 formed in the periphery of the sleeve i.

The gear housing 28, and its associated parts just described, are located in substantially vertical alignment with the leg 4 from which the transmission gear housing 9 and tubular housing I5 are offset, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, to rotatably mount the wringer in offset relation at the opposite side of the leg, as now to be described.

Mounted on and rotatable about an annular flange 40 and in an arcuate groove 04 in the top" of the cover plate 38, for support therein, and preferably resting on the top edge of the annular flange, is the shank 65 of an upper elbow hous ing 66 constituting a direct support for the wringer mechanism, the shank being readily removable from and'replaceable on the upperterminai of the gear housing when the wringer is to be separated from the machine for shipment;

storage or repairs and readily replaced on 'the terminal for reassembly with the machine.

Slidably extending through and rotatably mounted in the bearing 61 atthe upper end of the shank 65 is the stub shaft 00v of an upper universal joint, the stub shaft 60 having a coupling pin 00 projected diametrically from its place.

'rne stub shaft a is'provided at its upper end with -a,yoke member 13, including a collar 14 constituting a stop or keeper and adapted forflexible connection with a similar collar I5 of a stub shaft I0 rotatable in a bearing 'I'I within the upper horizontal portion of the'elbow housing 06, the outer end of the stub shaft terminating within a chamber" in the end of the elbow housing and provided with a coupling pin adapted to engage the coupling collar of one or the roller shafts 02 of wringer mechanism II mounted on a flange B4 of the elbow housing 40, preferably by means of cap screws II.

In assembling the wringer mechanism with its elbow housing the coupling jaw on the wringer shaft is moved over the coupling pin on the universal stub shaft I0 to establish the dri ing connection, and when the wringer mechanism is to be mounted on the tub, the elbow housing with the wringer mechanism on it is set over the annular flange on the transmission housing, the coupling pin on the universal joint finding its seat in the jaw 10 of the transmission shaft to establish driving connection.

It is apparent that with the construction described the wringer roller shaft may be rotated in either direction when the wringer is in any position it may assume about the extended axis of the shaft I0. In order to retain the wringer mechanism in any of its several positions at which it may be most conveniently located for receiving articles from the washing tub for delivery into a rinsing tub, from the rinsing tub either back to the washing tub, or to a basket, or

at a neutral'position at which it is out of the way of the operator, I provide a latch for holding the wringer mechanism in either operating position or in neutral, position.

The latch mechanism referred to preferably consists of a pin IOI slidably mounted in the base flange I02 at the bottom of the upper elbow housing 66, and in a protuberance I00 on the base ring, the upper end of the latch being slidably guided in a socket I04 in a protuberance I05 on the side of the upper elbow housing and the lower end of the latch pin being adapted for projection into one of a plurality of sockets I00 formed in the cover plate 30 according to the position of the wringer. The pin IN is operable by a finger piece I09 fixed thereto and cooperative with a thumb hold IIO on the protuberance I05 so that the latch handle or thumb hold may be grasped with one handwhile the operator employs the other to turn the wringer to adjusted position.

Assuming the driving mechanism to be constructed and assembled with the tub, the tub base and wringer as described, and with the wringer'arranged to take articles from the washing tub for delivery into a rinsing tub that may be located adjacent the washing tub (Fig. 1), the transmission gearing is set with the bevelled gear 43 in mesh with the driving pinion 23 so that the connected wringer roller is rotated forwardly relative to the washing tub and articles passed through the wringer will be delivered to vertical slots 40 in the sleeve 4i restricting movement of the pins to a vertical plane in response to movement of the inclined cam track 54 over the pins. Upon initial movement of the collar 53 for shifting the transmission shaft, the ball latch ii is moved out of its socket 03 in the sleeve SI against the tension of its spring and held in its extended position by contact with angina the wall of the sleeve until the collar has been rotated to the next adjacent position, whereupon the ball isforced into a, corresponding socket to hold the collar in place; it being apparent that the gears may be retained at either limit of their movement to effect rotation of the wringerin eitherdirection, or in a neutral .position at which the wringer is inoperative because of disengagement of both bevelled gears from the driving pinion.

The wringer mechanism is released for positioning in a different location by lifting the latch pin from the socket in which it is seated at that time, and retained inits location by automatic repositioning of the latch pin in a socket corresponding to the new position. When the wringer is in position to receive and deliver the articles desired, power is transmitted from the motor to actuate the drive shaft, the worm and worm wheel, the lower universal joint, the transmission shaft, the upper universal joint, and the wringer, regardless of position of the wringer and in either forward or reverse direction, according to selected engagement of the bevel gears on the transmission shaft with the driving pinion on the lower universal joint.

When the wringer is in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 the Weight thereof is substantially offset .by the transmission and driving means at the opposite side of the leg. As the wringer is swung from the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and toward a radial position relatively to the tub, the wringer is counterbalanced by the tub and driving mechanism supported thereunder. As the wringer swings across to the opposite side of the leg the tipping moment exerted by thewringer is lessened so that there is no tendency for the tub to tip in that direction. The-forces resulting from swinging of the wringeroutwardly from the tub are transmitted downwardly in substantial alignment with the leg, and the leg serves as a brace to prevent tipping of the machine.

As the position of the wringer is changed and its moment increased, the relative moment of the tub and base is thus increasedto stabilize the machine.

ing means connected with the lower end of the vertical shaft. means supporting the wringer for swinging movement about the axis of the driven I shaft, and a driving connection connecting the driven shaft with the wringer- -2. In combination with a' washing machine having a tub supported by spaced legs and having a wringer, driving mechanism for the wringer including a vertical shaft offset laterally at a side of one of the legs, a housing for the shaft and having a lateral extension directed toward the leg, a housing connected with said lateral extension and spaced above the leg, a driven shaft supported by the last named housing in vertical alignment with the leg,-a driving connection in said lateral extension for interconnecting said shafts, means connecting the driven shaft with the wringer, driving means connected with the lower end of the vertical shaft, means supporting the wringer for swinging movement on the last named housing whereby said wringer is adapted to swing about an axis .directly above said leg in said last named housing, and means for reversing rotation of the driven shaft.

3. In combination with a washing machine having a tub supported by spaced legs and having a wringer, driving mechanism for the wringer including a vertical shaft offset laterally at a side of one of the legs, a housing for the shaft and having a lateral extension projecting over the leg, a gear housing connected with said lateral extension, a driven shaft supported by the gear housing in alignment with said leg, gearing in said gear housing, driving connections between the gears and said shafts, drivingmeans connect ed with the lower end of the vertical shaft, means supporting the wringer for swinging movement on the gear housing about the axis of the driven shaft, and means for connecting the driven shaft with the wringer. I

4. In combination with a washing machine having a tub supported by spaced legs and having a wringer, driving mechanism for the wringer offset laterally at a side of one ofthe legs, a transmission housing above said leg, a transmission gearing in the transmission housing, a driving connection between the driving mechanism and the transmission gearing, a housing for the driving connection including a portion extending above said driving mechanism and terminating in a lateral arm connected with the transmission housingfor enclosing said driving connec- SIDNEY s. HOLLAND. GARD F. TRAUGHBER. REUBEN J; McVEY. 

